Anything For A Friend
by StockersBlahBlah
Summary: This is a one-shot based on true facts…but not-so-true events. Completely AU; set in the real-world where Supernatural is a TV-series, but the things that go bump in the night exist as well… Rated T but really rated M!
1. Finding A Total Aberration

**THEN**

_Children running through a garden full of flowers, a pond in the background, and parents sitting around a small deck table, the children are laughing and giggling while they play._

_A doctor's office, certificates littering an entire wall, the blinds behind the desk are half open. On the desk is a picture of the doctor's family. A girl is sitting in a chair in a corner of the office playing with a Barbie doll while the doctor and her mother talk._

"_Tanya has a very serious illness. She has a very large stomach ulcer that's near impossible to remove successfully. I'm sorry Mrs Liberty."_

_The doctor's office faded away, into darkness._

"_Tanya won't live a full life."_

**NOW**

The alarm clock beside the bed and an arm stretched from underneath the duvet to slap against the cupboard a few times before finding the clock. The arm dropped back beside the bed, the tattoo on the upper arm obscured by the darkness in the room, and the angle at which the arm was twisted. There was a dull groan from under the duvet which pulled down off the hidden face. Benjamin Mayson was 19 years old, and didn't have a lot of friends, despite his age. All through school he'd been the minority, with only a handful of friends, but only one best friend; Tanya Liberty. She was a few months older than him and neither of them knew what they'd do without the other. She was the first thing he thought about before he went to sleep, and the first thing he thought about when he woke up. That…and how unfair life was.

He groaned again as he sat up, kicking the duvet off the end of the mattress, rubbing his face with his hand, the stubble rough against the tough skin of his hand. He muttered incoherently to himself as he got up, wearing just a pair of black tracksuit bottoms he stumbled across the floor and out of the door, he stretched as he turned to the left and walked down the short hallway to the bathroom and pulled the toilet seat up, he turned his head and looked at his reflection.

He wished he hadn't stayed up so late watching reruns of Supernatural on TV. His normally-spiky black hair was flattened over to one side, the length of it made him appear smart. So he hoped in the shower and washed his hair. In a better light and angle, the tattoo of the pentagram was clear now, the sun's rays sprouting in an 8-spoke pattern around it. The same tattoo that Sam and Dean Winchester have tattooed on their chests.

Once he was out and dried, he went back to his room in the nude to get some clean clothes; a pair of black faded jeans, a Metallica t-shirt, a plain black shirt which was open displaying the t-shirt, and a fingerless glove on his right hand. He also wore thick eyeliner.

He turned back to the bed when he was standing in the doorway, then walked over and felt under the pillow then pulled the gun out. It was black, fully loaded, and very shiny.

Ben stared at the gun and knew he'd never need it…right?

He shook his head and hid the gun again, then walked out of the room, closing the door.

Once he got to school he went to his usual spot, where Tanya would always meet him, she was often there before him but sometimes he was the first there. He leant against the wall remembering the episode from the night before. 'Crossroad Blues' of Season 2. Crossroad demons…he knew they had to exist. Supernatural was fake, but based on legends…myths, the truth. Vampires, demons, ghosts, Reapers…

He was torn from his train of thought by the sound of heels clicking against the concrete, he turned his head and saw Tanya's dark hair bouncing off the top of her back in a pony tail; she was wearing a blue t-shirt with a logo or brand name on it, and a pair of tight blue jeans with a pair of black Converse All Stars like his own.

"Hey Benny," she smiled and hugged him, then pulled back sharply.

"What…what is it? Are you ok?" he asked suddenly, worried…scared…a hand on her arm and the other on her back, while her own hand was on her stomach, the other clutching her phone.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she smiled falsely, "Really," she added quietly, as another friend approached them, he had the beginnings of a beard coming through, his hair was blonde and brown styled with the fringe down over his eye.

"Hey guys," he said with a cheery smile.

"Hey Lynx," Ben muttered, fed up with Tanya lying to him.

Lynx's real name was Lyle, but he had derived his nickname from his overzealous use of the Lynx deodorant.

Lynx slapped Ben's shoulder and hugged Tanya loosely.

"Only saying hi, see you suckers later." he said and left.

"I hope a hell hound chews him up and spits him out," Ben muttered.

"Oh for God's sake, you don't still believe in that crap?" Tanya snapped.

Ben didn't reply, he just stared at her and they began walking inside the college.

"It was fun when we first started watching it…but now its just…childish." Tanya added after a few minutes of silence.

Throughout the day not a lot happened. Tanya didn't eat at lunch again despite how much Ben tried to get her to eat something.

"You have to eat…please?" he said.

She just shook her head, pushing the food away.

After a while Ben had enough and stormed off, hitching his backpack over one shoulder while picking fluff from his glove, his jaw clenched tightly. Tanya followed him.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You." Ben replied.

"What have I done?"

"Nothing, that's just it. You wont eat, you wont drink, all you do is go to the gym and dance, its not healthy for a person, especially you."

Tanya looked hurt.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I love you, I've always loved you. Do you know how much it kills me to see you in pain?" Ben said.

"Ben…I know its hard but…I'm not like you or…any one else here…I'm not going to live forever…but I'm not going to live as long as you." Tanya said quietly.

"I know…" Ben said, just as quietly.

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

"You say this stuff doesn't exist…Angels, Demons, stuff like that?" Ben said, "Crossroad Demon." he said before walking off.

"Benny!" Tanya called after him, but he didn't listen and just kept walking.

Ben sat at his computer, silently, the Prodigy was blaring away to itself in the background but he was focusing on local lore. More importantly, crossroad demons, any way he could save Tanya's life. Suddenly, he came across something, sitting bolt up right in the seat, slowly leaning into the screen as he read.

"Local…very close…" he said, grabbing his jacket and bolting out of the room, "I'll be back soon!" he shouted to his parents, not giving them time to respond before the door slammed shut.

He made his way in silence down to the crossroads, it was a rail track, disused, about a mile out of town. Once he reached the track he followed it, feeling along it with his foot in the darkness. Every time he heard a noise he turned sharply in the direction in fright. Every time he swallowed his fear and kept moving. He almost tripped over the crossing lines and looked around, swallowing nervously.

"Found the crossroads," he whispered to himself, rubbing his hands together, "Next…I need to…" he continued, trying to remember. "Dig a hole dead centre, I need a light…" he said, feeling in his pockets for a lighter, pulling out the small blue vial of liquid gas and lighting it, and used his fingers to dig a hole in the middle of the tracks, placing inside a box with a picture of him and Tanya, and other odds and ends from both their lives, and then covering the box with dirt again, compacting it down almost flat.

"If you're there…I want to make a deal…" he said loudly, not standing, or looking up.

Silence, not a thing made a sound…which wasn't right, nothing, absolutely nothing was making a noise, no rustling of trees, no owls hooting, no noises of traffic. It was as if time was standing still.

"What are you doing here?" asked a familiar voice.

Benny turned sharply and raised the lighter to see the woman standing in front of him.

"Tanya?" he asked quietly.

'Tanya' shook her head.

"Not Tanya." she said, with a smile.

Ben was speechless, it looked and sounded like her.

"Are you…?"

"I'm the crossroad demon, yes." she nodded.

"Are you possessing my friend?"

"No, I merely appear as what you desire. You desire Tanya, and I reckon that's why you're here?"

Ben only nodded.

"Why's that Benny?" she asked, coming right up to him and placing a hand on his chest, looking up into his eyes.

"Tanya's ill…"

"I know,"

"She doesn't deserve to be…"

"Do you?"

Ben swallowed.

"More than her…she's the nicest person in the world, she deserves a full life, not this…bullshit one she's got now." Ben said bitterly, "I want her to be happy, I hate seeing her in pain…I…I don't want her to die."

"But you'd die for her?" the demon asked, her eyes flashing deep red in the light.

Ben swallowed again…

**WHAT DO **_**YOU**_** WANT BENNY TO DO?**

**SAVE TANYA'S LIFE?**

**OR SAVE HIS OWN?**

**You decide…**


	2. Selfless

**THEN**

"_Tanya has a very serious illness. I'm sorry. Tanya won't live a full life."_

"Hey guys," he said with a cheery smile.

"Hey Lynx," Ben muttered, fed up with Tanya lying to him.

Lynx's real name was Lyle, but he had derived his nickname from his overzealous use of the Lynx deodorant.

Lynx slapped Ben's shoulder and hugged Tanya loosely.

"Only saying hi, see you suckers later." he said and left.

"I hope a hell hound chews him up and spits him out," Ben muttered.

"Oh for God's sake, you don't still believe in that crap?" Tanya snapped.

Ben didn't reply, he just stared at her and they began walking inside the college.

"It was fun when we first started watching it…but now its just…childish." Tanya added after a few minutes of silence.

"You say this stuff doesn't exist…Angels, Demons, stuff like that?" Ben said, "Crossroad Demon." he said before walking off.

"Benny!" Tanya called after him, but he didn't listen and just kept walking.

Ben used his fingers to dig a hole in the middle of the tracks, placing inside a box with a picture of him and Tanya, and other odds and ends from both their lives, and then covering the box with dirt again, compacting it down almost flat.

"If you're there…I want to make a deal…"

"You'd die for her?" the demon asked, her eyes flashing deep red in the light.

Ben swallowed again…

**NOW**

"Yes..." Ben said eventually, after what felt like an eternity to the demon. "I'd do anything for her."

The demon broke into a grin. "Foolish words, Benny," she said, moving with a sort of graceful dance or glide around him. "Hmm...five years," she said eventually.

Ben moved back, "...What?" he asked, shocked.

"Five years," she said, "You go to Tanya, tell her what you did, and you'll have five years."

"Thirty." Ben said, causing the crossroad demon to hiss.

"Dont piss me off, boy," she hissed.

"Thirty years," Ben said again.

The demon narrowed her black eyes, "Ten."

" Thirty."

"Fifteen."

"Thirty."

"Twenty. I wont go anymore." She said, and as Ben opened his mouth, "Say 'thirty' once more, and I'll revoke any kind of deal, and take Tanya's soul." She threatened.

Ben swallowed. "Twenty years," he folded with a sigh. "Just give Tanya her life back."

"Atta boy, Ben," the demon smiled and stepped towards him, her hand went to the back of his neck and she kissed him deeply.

Ben was frozen in shock, this demon looked like Tanya, it sounded like Tanya, it moved like Tanya...and it smelt like Tanya. His mind knew this _wasn't_ Tanya, but his heart tried to tell him this was Tanya After two more minutes the demon broke the kiss.

"Whoa...Tanya's a lucky girl, see you in twenty." The demon grinned, and, in the blink of an eye...was gone.

Ben stood there for a few second, glancing around, before going back to the rough dirt pile and pulled the box out. He picked up his bag and walked home slowly.

The next day Ben woke up early, way too early, and lay in his bed watching the shadows of the trees movement on his ceiling. He'd slept lousy, really lousy. He sighed quietly when his alarm went off, and slapped the button to turn it off before pushing the covers back, and slunk into the bathroom as usual. He washed his face, rubbing the stubble slowly, thinking. _Did last night really happen? Did I get drunk and fall asleep watching Supernatural? Again?_ Thousands of thoughts, all along these trains of thought, passed through his mind, before the last one did. _How is Tanya?_

He lifted his head and turned the water off. Still feeling like a lump of something he'd avoid on the pavement, he got out of the shower and went back to his room, picking up clothes from the floor and flinging them around to look for his mobile phone. He heard it vibrating and dived for it, across his bed, and picked it up from beside his carelessly scattered shoes.

"Hello?" he asked hurriedly, realising he hadn't bothered to check the I.D.

"Ben?" Tanya's voice said excitedly.

"...Tanya?" he asked, shocked.

"Yeah!" Tanya said. By the sound of her voice, Ben could imagine the smile on her face. She was happy again.

"What's up?" Ben asked slowly.

"I just got back from the doctor's office," Tanya explained, "Just had to go for some routine tests and there was no sign of the ulcer, and I haven't felt any pain since last night," she said.

Ben stayed silent, and rolled onto his back, his head hanging off the edge of the bed so he was seeing the world upside down.

"That's great," he said eventually.

"Dont sound _too_ happy then!"

"Sorry...I just woke up," Ben lied.

"I'll see you later" Tanya said and hung up.

Ben heard the line go dead. "You're welcome," he said and put the phone down, staring at the wall with half-dead eyes. "I have twenty years..." he said quietly before getting up, grabbing the red Sharpie from the table and crossing that day off the calendar.

A few hours later, Ben was sitting on the wall outside Tanya's, working up some courage to knock on the door. He sighed deeply and stood up, walked up the path and knocked on the door.

Tanya's mother opened the door and smiled at Ben, inviting him inside. Ben slowly moved in, taking his coat off and sliding his shoes onto the rack near the door. He glanced back at Tanya's mother and she ushered him through into the living room, where he was met by a tight, and a rather aggressive hug from Tanya, which he, after a few shocked seconds, returned.

He hated to admit it, but he had to fight the urge to cry.

He had so much that he wanted to say to her, but her family was here; her mother, her father, and her little brother.

He looked at her as she pulled back, and he saw a spring in her step and a drink in her hand. She was celebrating her life. Unknowingly, she was celebrating his sacrifice. Celebrating _his_ death, twenty years early.


	3. Selfish

**THEN**

"_Tanya has a very serious illness. I'm sorry. Tanya won't live a full life."_

"Hey guys," he said with a cheery smile.

"Hey Lynx," Ben muttered, fed up with Tanya lying to him.

Lynx's real name was Lyle, but he had derived his nickname from his overzealous use of the Lynx deodorant.

Lynx slapped Ben's shoulder and hugged Tanya loosely.

"Only saying hi, see you suckers later." he said and left.

"I hope a hell hound chews him up and spits him out," Ben muttered.

"Oh for God's sake, you don't still believe in that crap?" Tanya snapped.

Ben didn't reply, he just stared at her and they began walking inside the college.

"It was fun when we first started watching it…but now its just…childish." Tanya added after a few minutes of silence.

"You say this stuff doesn't exist…Angels, Demons, stuff like that?" Ben said, "Crossroad Demon." he said before walking off.

"Benny!" Tanya called after him, but he didn't listen and just kept walking.

Ben used his fingers to dig a hole in the middle of the tracks, placing inside a box with a picture of him and Tanya, and other odds and ends from both their lives, and then covering the box with dirt again, compacting it down almost flat.

"If you're there…I want to make a deal…"

"You'd die for her?" the demon asked, her eyes flashing deep red in the light.

Ben swallowed again…

**NOW**

"Yes..." Ben said eventually, after what felt like an eternity to the demon. "I'd do anything for her."

The demon broke into a grin. "Foolish words, Benny," she said, moving with a sort of graceful dance or glide around him. "Hmm...five years," she said eventually.

Ben moved back, "...What?" he asked, shocked.

"Five years," she said, "You go to Tanya, tell her what you did, and you'll have five years."

"Thirty." Ben said, causing the crossroad demon to hiss.

"Dont piss me off, boy," she hissed.

"Thirty years," Ben said again.

The demon narrowed her black eyes, "Ten."

" Thirty."

"Fifteen."

"Thirty."

"Twenty. I wont go anymore." She said, and as Ben opened his mouth, "Say 'thirty' once more, and I'll revoke any kind of deal, and take Tanya's soul." She threatened.

Ben swallowed. "Twenty years," he folded with a sigh. "Just give Tanya her life back."

"Atta boy, Ben," the demon smiled and stepped towards him, her hand went to the back of his neck and she moved to kiss him.

"Wait." He said, stepping back, "I...I..." he tried to speak, and swallowed thickly. He loved Tanya, but he didn't want to sentence himself to death. He would stick by her through anything; he knew that, she knew that. He didn't want to put her through losing him, but he didn't want to lose her. At all. But he really didn't want a timer above his head for the rest of his life. "I can't do this..." he said.

The demon laughed, "Oh Benny, poor weak Benny,"

"You're not allowed to call me that." Ben snapped bitterly, "I can't believe I came here..." he said, shaking his head and turning away to pick up his bag. "She's a strong person, she'll pull through this, the doctors will treat her, she'll get better," he said, not really talking to the demon.

"Don't do this, Ben, you won't like the outcome. Make this deal, save her life..." the demon threatened.

"Save her, only to have her die one day anyway? Condemn myself? _Sentence_ myself?" Ben asked angrily, "Walk around with an egg timer above my head until the day the hounds come for me?" he asked, shaking his head, ashamed in himself. "I should never have come here." He said and walked away.

The demon narrowed her eyes again and growled.

While he walked away he opened a fresh text to Tanya on his Nokia, but wasn't sure what to say. He'd snapped at her quite badly earlier. What should he say? Sorry, obviously, but he had to follow it up. He figured he should go and see her later, tomorrow, after he'd slept.

He went home, and slept soundly.

The next day he woke up, rubbed his eyes and slapped off his alarm. He watched the shadows of the trees moving across the ceiling in the wind before dragging himself out of bed and got into the shower. He took his time washing himself, half-heartedly shaved away at his stubbled chin. He got out of the shower and dried, then walked back to his room to get dressed.

He glanced at his phone, but saw no notifications lighting up the screen; no texts, no calls. She was obviously waiting for him to talk to her. He sighed and got dressed, then ran down to go to her house.

He knocked on the door and waited a few minutes, but was greeted by Tanya's sobbing mother.

"Oh...I'm sorry, missus Liberty...I was here to see Tanya, but it's a bad time, I'll come back." He said, then heard Tanya's father's voice.

"Wait, Benjamin...you should come in. This concerns you too."

Ben paused and turned back, "Okay...what's happened?"

"Tanya...had a bad turn, in the night..." her father continued, "You should come in, off the street."

Ben felt the life drain from his heart with every step he took towards the door.

"Her ulcer ruptured, in her sleep...she bled out," her father said once they were all sat down, "The doctors said she didn't feel any pain, she felt nothing."

"Except hate for me," Ben said quietly.

"What do you mean, Ben?" Tanya's mother asked.

"We...um...we had a fight, the last time we spoke to each other," he said, "It's not important...but she...hated me when she..."

"Ben...she could never hate you, she loved you," her father said, in a tone of voice that Ben had never heard before.

_The crossroad demon did this_...he thought slowly, _NO! She wouldn't...that wasn't our deal_. Said another part of him. _What deal! You walked away! You did this! YOU KILLED HER!_

Ben stood up sharply and ran from the house, both Tanya's parents looked at each other, but by the time they'd stood, Ben was long gone.

"Where are you?" he yelled once he reached the crossroads, looking around wildly, "Come on!"

"It's good to see you too, Ben." Tanya's voice said.

Ben turned and grabbed the demon.

"Why!" he roared, his throat already starting to hurt, "Why did you take her from me!"

"You denied my deal!" the demon said back, her eyes turning all black.

Ben let her go and rubbed his face, "Oh my god...I killed her...I really killed her..." he moaned over and over. "Please, please bring her back." He said.

"Too late Ben. She's gone, and you're here to stay. _Deal_ with it." The demon said, watching him sink to his and knees and cry.  
"BRING HER BACK!" he roared, but the demon was gone.


End file.
